Battery, power consumption device, and method and device for producing battery

ABSTRACT

Provided are a battery, a power consumption device, a method for producing a battery, and a device. The battery includes: a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction and a thermal management component extending along the first direction and being connected to a first wall of each battery cell among the plurality of battery cells, the thermal management component including a pair of heat conducting plates that are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a flow passage located between the pair of heat conducting plates, the flow passage being configured to accommodate a fluid to adjust temperatures of the battery cell, and the second direction being vertical to the first wall, where in the second direction, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate and a size H of the flow passage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25. Technical solutions of embodiments of the present application could enhance performance of batteries.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No.PCT/CN2022/077150, filed on Feb. 21, 2022, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the field of battery technologies,and in particular, to a battery, a power consumption device, and amethod and device for producing a battery.

BACKGROUND

With the increasing environmental pollution, new energy industry hasattracted more and more attention. In the new energy industry, batterytechnology is an important factor related to their development.

Energy density of the battery is an important parameter amongperformance of the battery. However, other performance parameters of thebattery need to be considered when improving the energy density of thebattery. Therefore, how to improve the performance of the battery is oneurgent technical problem to be solved in the battery technology.

SUMMARY

The present application provides a battery, a power consumption device,and a method and device for producing a battery, which may improveenergy density of the battery while ensuring thermal management in thebattery, thereby improving performance of the battery.

In a first aspect, a battery is provided, including a plurality ofbattery cells arranged along a first direction; and a thermal managementcomponent, extending along the first direction and being connected to afirst wall of each battery cell among the plurality of battery cells,the first wall being a wall that has the largest surface area of thebattery cell, the thermal management component including a pair of heatconducting plates that are oppositely arranged along a second directionand a flow passage located between the pair of heat conducting plates,the flow passage being configured to accommodate a fluid to adjust atemperature of the battery cell, and the second direction being verticalto the first wall, where in the second direction, a thickness D of theheat conducting plate and a size H of the flow passage satisfy:0.01≤D/H≤25.

In an embodiment of the present application, in the battery, the thermalmanagement component is provided to be connected to the first wall thathas the largest surface area of each battery cell among a column of theplurality of battery cells arranged along the first direction, where thethermal management component includes a pair of heat conducting platesthat are oppositely arranged along a second direction vertical to thefirst wall and a flow passage between the pair of heat conductingplates, and in the second direction, the thickness D of the heatconducting plate and the size H of the flow passage satisfy:0.01≤D/H≤0.25. In this way, there is no need to provide beams and otherstructures in the middle of the box body of the battery, which canmaximize the space utilization rate inside the battery, therebyimproving the energy density of the battery; besides, the use of theabove thermal management component can also ensure the thermalmanagement in the battery. Thus, technical solutions of the embodimentsof the present application could ensure the thermal management in thebattery while improving the energy density of the battery, therebyimproving the performance of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the thickness D of the heatconducting plate and the size H of the flow passage satisfy: 0.05 andfurther satisfy 0.1 so as to better take into account space, strengthand thermal management, thereby further improving the performance of thebattery.

In a possible implementation manner, a size W of the thermal managementcomponent in the second direction is 0.3 to 100 mm. If W is too large,the thermal management component will take up too much space, and if Wis too small, it will result in too low strength or too narrow flowpassage and affect the thermal management performance. Therefore, whenthe total thickness W of the thermal management component is 0.3 to 100mm, the thermal management component can take into account the space,the strength and the thermal management to ensure the performance of thebattery.

In a possible implementation manner, the thickness D of the heatconducting plate is 0.1 to 25 mm. If the thickness D of the heatconducting plate is too large, the heat conducting plate will take uptoo much space and the thermal management component will not be able togive up the expansion space required by the battery cell, and if the Dis too small, it will result in low strength. Therefore, when thethickness D of the heat conducting plate is 0.1 to 25 mm, the thermalmanagement component can take into account the space, the strength andexpansion requirements of the battery cell to ensure the performance ofthe battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the size H of the flow passage is0.1 to 50 mm. In this way, the thermal management component can takeinto account the space, the strength and a thermal managementperformance to ensure the performance of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the size W of the thermalmanagement component in the second direction and an area A of the firstwall satisfy: 0.03 mm⁻¹≤W/A*1000≤2 mm⁻¹. In this way, requirements onboth the strength and the thermal management performance can be takeninto account to ensure the performance of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the thermal management componentfurther includes a rib provided between the pair of heat conductingplates, and the rib and the pair of heat conducting plates form the flowpassage. The rib can increase the strength of the thermal managementcomponent.

In a possible implementation manner, an angle formed of the rib and theheat conducting plate is an acute angle. In this way, in the seconddirection, the thermal management component can have a relatively largespace for compression, thereby providing a relatively larger space forthe expansion of the battery cell.

In a possible implementation manner, a thickness X of the rib is notless than (−0.0005*F+0.4738)mm, where F is a tensile strength of amaterial of the rib. In order to meet stress requirements of thermalmanagement component, materials with higher strength are selected, andthe thickness X of the internal rib can be thinner, thereby saving thespace and improving the energy density.

In a possible implementation manner, the battery cell includes two firstwalls that are oppositely arranged in the second direction and twosecond walls that are oppositely arranged in the first direction, wherein the first direction, the second walls of two adjacent battery cellsare opposite. In this way, the first wall with a large area is used toconnect with the thermal management component, which is beneficial toheat exchange among the battery cells and ensures the performance of thebattery.

In a possible implementation manner, the battery includes a plurality ofcolumns of the plurality of battery cells arranged in the firstdirection and the plurality of thermal management components, where theplurality of columns of battery cells and the plurality of thermalmanagement components are alternately arranged in the second direction.

In this way, the plurality columns of battery cells and the plurality ofthermal management components are connected to each other to form as awhole that is accommodated in the box body, which can not only performeffectively thermal management of each column of battery cells, butensure the overall structural strength of the battery, thereby improvingthe performance of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the thermal management component isbonded to the first wall.

In a second aspect, a power consumption device is provided, including:the battery in the above first aspect or any possible implementationmanner of the first aspect, and the battery being configured to provideelectric energy.

In a third aspect, a method for producing a battery is provided,including providing a plurality of battery cells arranged in a firstdirection; providing a thermal management component, the thermalmanagement component extending along the first direction and beingconnected to a first wall of each battery cell among the plurality ofbattery cells, the first wall being a wall that has the largest surfacearea of the battery cell, the thermal management component including apair of heat conducting plates that are oppositely arranged along asecond direction and a flow passage located between the pair of heatconducting plates, the flow passage being configured to accommodate afluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell, and the seconddirection being vertical to the first wall, where in the seconddirection, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate and a size H ofthe flow passage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.

In a fourth aspect, a device for producing a battery is provided,including a module for executing the method provided in the above thirdaspect.

In the technical solution of an embodiment of the present application,in the battery, the thermal management component is provided to beconnected to the first wall that has the largest surface area of eachbattery cell among a column of the plurality of battery cells arrangedalong the first direction, where the thermal management componentincludes a pair of heat conducting plates that are oppositely arrangedalong a second direction of the first wall and a flow passage betweenthe pair of heat conducting plates, and in the second direction, thethickness D of the heat conducting plate and the size H of the flowpassage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25. In this way, there is no need to providebeams and other structures in the middle of the box body of the battery,which can maximize the space utilization rate inside the battery,thereby improving the energy density of the battery; besides, the use ofthe above thermal management component can also ensure the thermalmanagement in the battery. Thus, technical solutions of the embodimentsof the present application could ensure the thermal management in thebattery while improving the energy density of the battery, therebyimproving the performance of the battery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in embodiments of the presentapplication more clearly, the following briefly describes theaccompanying drawings required for the embodiments of the presentapplication. It is obvious that the accompanying drawings in thefollowing description show merely some embodiments of the presentapplication, and those of ordinary skill in the art may still deriveother drawings from these accompanying drawings without creativeefforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment ofthe present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment ofthe present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a battery cell according to anembodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment ofthe present application;

FIG. 5 is an exploded diagram of a column of battery cells and thermalmanagement components in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a planar schematic diagram of a column of battery cells andthermal management components in an embodiment of the presentapplication;

FIG. 7 is a sectional schematic view taken along A-A in FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the part B in FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a method for producing a batteryaccording to an embodiment of the present application; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a device for producing a batteryaccording to an embodiment of the present application.

In the accompany drawings, the accompany drawings are not drawn toactual scale.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Implementation manners of the present application will be furtherdescribed below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawingsand embodiments. The detailed description of the following embodimentsand the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily illustrateprinciples of the present application, but cannot be used to limit thescope of the present invention, that is, the present application is notlimited to the described embodiments.

In the depiction of the present application, it is noted that unlessotherwise defined, all technological and scientific terms used have thesame meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the artto which the present application belongs. The terms used are merely forthe purpose of describing specific embodiments, but are not intended tolimit the present application. The terms “including” and “having” andany variations thereof in the specification and the claims of thepresent application as well as the brief description of the drawingsdescribed above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. “Aplurality of” means more than two; and orientations or positionalrelationships indicated by terms such as “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”,“inside”, and “outside” are merely for convenience of describing thepresent application and for simplifying the description, rather than forindicating or implying that an apparatus or element indicated must havea specific orientation, and must be constructed and operated in aspecific orientation, which thus may not be understood as a limitationthe present application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, and“third” are only intended for the purpose of description, and shall notbe understood as an indication or implication of relative importance.“Vertical” is not strictly vertical, but within an allowable range oferror. “Parallel” is not strictly parallel, but within an allowablerange of error.

The phrase “embodiments” referred to in the present application meansthat the descriptions of specific features, structures, andcharacteristics in combination with the embodiments are included in atleast an embodiment of the present application. The phrase at variouslocations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the sameembodiment, or an independent or alternative embodiment exclusive ofanother embodiment. Those skilled in the art understand, in explicit andimplicit manners, that the embodiments described in the presentapplication may be combined with other embodiments.

The terms representing directions in the following description are alldirections shown in the drawings, and do not limit the specificstructure of the present application. In the description of the presentapplication, it should be further noted that unless otherwise explicitlyspecified and defined, the terms “mounting”, “connecting” and“connection” should be understood in a broad sense; for example, theymay be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integratedconnection; may be a direct connection and may also be an indirectconnection through an intermediate medium, or may be communicationbetween the interiors of two elements. Those of ordinary skill in theart may appreciate the specific meanings of the foregoing terms in thepresent application according to specific circumstances.

In the present application, the term “and/or” is only an associationrelation describing associated objects, which means that there may bethree relations. For example, A and/or B may represent three situations:A exists alone, both A and B exist, and B exists alone. In addition, thecharacter “/” in the present application generally indicates that theassociated objects before and after the character are in an “or”relation.

In the present application, battery cells may include lithium-ionsecondary batteries, lithium-ion primary batteries, lithium-sulfurbatteries, sodium/lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries ormagnesium-ion batteries, etc., which are not limited by the embodimentsof the present application. The battery cells may be cylindrical, flat,cuboid or in another shape, which is not limited by the embodiments ofthe present application. The battery cells are generally divided intothree types according to the way of packaging: cylindrical batterycells, prismatic battery cells and pouch battery cells, which are notlimited by the embodiments of the present application.

The battery mentioned in the embodiment of the present applicationrefers to a single physical module that includes one or more batterycells to provide a higher voltage and capacity. For example, the batterymentioned in the present application may include a battery pack, etc.The battery generally includes a box body for enclosing one or morebattery cells. The box body may prevent liquid or other foreign mattersfrom affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cell.

The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyticsolution, and the electrode assembly is composed of a positive electrodesheet, a negative electrode sheet and a separator. Operations of thebattery cell mainly rely on movements of metal ions between the positiveelectrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. The positive electrodesheet includes a positive current collector and a positive activematerial layer. The positive active material layer is coated on asurface of the positive current collector, and the current collectorthat is not coated with the positive active material layer protrudesfrom the current collector coated with the positive active materiallayer and is used as a positive tab. In an example of a lithium-ionbattery, the material of the positive current collector may be aluminum,and the positive active material may be lithium cobalt oxide, lithiumiron phosphate, ternary lithium, lithium manganate, or the like. Thenegative sheet includes a negative current collector and a negativeactive material layer. The negative active material layer is coated on asurface of the negative current collector, and the current collectorthat is not coated with the negative active material layer protrudesfrom the current collector coated with the negative active materiallayer and is used as a negative tab. A material of the negative currentcollector may be copper, and a material of the negative active materialmay be carbon, silicon, or the like. In order to ensure that no fusingoccurs when a large current passes through, there are a plurality ofpositive tabs which are stacked together, and there are a plurality ofnegative tabs which are stacked together. A material of the separatormay be polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), and the like. Inaddition, the electrode assembly may be a winding structure or alaminated structure, and the embodiments of the present application arenot limited thereto.

In order to meet different power demands, the battery may include aplurality of battery cells, where the plurality of battery cells may beseries-connected, parallel-connected or series-parallel connected. Theseries-parallel connection refers to a combination of series connectionand parallel connection. Optionally, a plurality of battery cells may befirstly series-connected, parallel-connected or series-parallelconnected to form a battery module, and then a plurality of batterymodules are series-connected, parallel-connected or series-parallelconnected to form a battery. That is, the plurality of battery cells maydirectly form a battery, or may firstly form battery modules, and thenthe battery modules form a battery. The battery is further provided in apower consumption device to provide electrical energy for the powerconsumption device.

The development of the battery technology is necessary to take intoaccount design factors in multiple aspects simultaneously, such asenergy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, C-rate, safety, etc.Among them, when an internal space of the battery is fixed, improvingthe utilization rate of the internal space of the battery is aneffective measure to improve the energy density of the battery. However,while improving the utilization rate of the internal space of thebattery, other parameters of the battery, such as thermal management,are also needed to be considered.

In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide atechnical solution, in the battery, the thermal management component isprovided to be connected to the first wall that has the largest surfacearea of each battery cell among a column of the plurality of batterycells arranged along the first direction, where the thermal managementcomponent includes a pair of heat conducting plates that are oppositelyarranged along a second direction of the first wall and a flow passagebetween the pair of heat conducting plates, and in the second direction,the thickness D of the heat conducting plate and the size H of the flowpassage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25. In this way, there is no need to providebeams and other structures in the middle of the box body of the battery,which can maximize the space utilization rate inside the battery,thereby improving the energy density of the battery; besides, the use ofthe above thermal management component can also ensure the thermalmanagement in the battery. Thus, technical solutions of the embodimentsof the present application could ensure the thermal management in thebattery while improving the energy density of the battery, therebyimproving the performance of the battery.

The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the presentapplication are all applicable to various apparatuses using batteries,such as mobile phones, portable apparatus, notebook computers,electromobiles, electronic toys, electric tools, electric vehicles,ships and spacecrafts. For example, the spacecrafts include airplanes,rockets, space shuttles and spaceships, and the like.

It should be understood that the technical solutions described in theembodiments of the present application are not only applicable to theapparatus described above, but to all apparatus using batteries.However, for brief description, the following embodiments are alldescribed by an example of an electric vehicle.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 1 is a schematic structuraldiagram of the vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the presentapplication. The vehicle 1 may be a fuel-powered vehicle, a gas-poweredvehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be abattery electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an extended-range vehicle,or the like. The vehicle 1 may be internally provided with a motor 40, acontroller 30 and a battery 10, and the controller 30 is configured tocontrol the battery 10 to supply power to the motor 40. For example, thebattery 10 may be provided at the bottom or the head or the tail of thevehicle 1. The battery 10 may be configured to supply power to thevehicle 1. For example, the battery 10 may be used as an operation powersupply of the vehicle 1 for a circuit system of the vehicle 1, forexample, for a working power demand of the vehicle 1 during startup,navigation and operation. In another embodiment of the presentapplication, the battery 10 may be used not only as an operating powersource for the vehicle 1 but a driving power source for the vehicle 1,replacing or partially replacing the fuel or natural gas to providedriving power for the vehicle 1.

In order to satisfy different power demands, the battery 10 may includea plurality of battery cells. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , it is aschematic structural diagram of the battery 10 according to anembodiment of the present application. The battery 10 may include aplurality of battery cells 20. The battery 10 may further include a boxbody 11 with a hollow structure inside, and the plurality of batterycells 20 are accommodated in the box body 11. For example, the pluralityof battery cells 20 are connected in series or in parallel or in ahybrid and are then placed in the box body 11.

Optionally, the battery 10 may also include other structures, which willnot be described in detail herein. For example, the battery 10 may alsoinclude a busbar component. The busbar component is configured toimplement electric connection among the plurality of battery cells 20,such as parallel connection, series connection or series-parallelconnection. Specifically, the busbar component may implement anelectrical connection between the battery cells 20 by connectingelectrode terminals of the battery cells 20. Further, the busbarcomponent may be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells20 by means of welding. Electric energy of the plurality of batterycells 20 may be further led out through an electrically conductivemechanism passing through the case. Optionally, electrically conductivemechanism may also belong to the busbar component.

According to different power requirements, the number of the batterycells 20 may be set to any value. The plurality of battery cells 20 maybe series-connected, parallel-connected or series-parallel connected toimplement larger capacity or power. Since there may be many batterycells 20 included in each battery 10, the battery cells 20 may beprovided in groups for convenience of installation, and each group ofbattery cells 20 constitutes a battery module. The number of the batterycells 20 included in the battery module is not limited and may be set asrequired. The battery may include a plurality of battery modules, andthese battery modules may be series-connected, parallel-connected orseries-parallel connected.

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the battery cell 20according to an embodiment of the present application. The battery cell20 includes one or more electrode assemblies 22, a housing 211 and acover plate 212. The housing 211 and the cover plate 212 form a shell ora battery case 21. A wall of the housing 211 and the cover plate 212 areboth referred to as a wall of the battery cell 20, where for a cuboidbattery cell 20, the walls of the housing 211 includes a bottom wall andfour side walls. The housing 211 is shaped according to a shape of oneor more electrode assemblies 22 after combination. For example, thehousing 211 may be a hollow cuboid, cube or cylinder, and one surface ofthe housing 211 has an opening such that one or more electrodeassemblies 22 may be placed in the housing 211. For example, when thehousing 211 is a hollow cuboid or cube, one plane of the housing 211 isan opening surface, i.e., the plane does not have a wall, so that theinside and outside of the housing 211 are in communication with eachother. When the housing 211 is a hollow cylinder, an end face of thehousing 211 is an opening surface, i.e., the end surface does not have awall, so that the inside and outside of the housing 211 are incommunication with each other. The cover plate 212 covers the openingand is connected to the housing 211 to form a closed cavity in which theelectrode assembly 22 is placed. The housing 211 is filled with anelectrolyte, such as an electrolytic solution.

The battery cell 20 may further include two electrode terminals 214, andthe two electrode terminals 214 may be provided on the cover plate 212.The cover plate 212 is generally in the shape of a flat plate, and thetwo electrode terminals 214 are fixed on a flat plate surface of thecover plate 212. The two electrode terminals 214 are a positiveelectrode terminal 214 a and a negative electrode terminal 214 b,respectively. Each electrode terminal 214 is correspondingly providedwith a connection member 23, or also referred to as a current collectionmember 23, which is located between the cover plate 212 and theelectrode assembly 22 and configured to electrically connect theelectrode assembly 22 to the electrode terminal 214.

As shown in FIG. 3 , each electrode assembly 22 has a first tab 221 aand a second tab 222 a. The first tab 221 a and the second tab 222 ahave opposite polarities. For example, when the first tab 221 a is apositive tab, the second tab 222 a is a negative tab. The first tab 221a of the one or more electrode assemblies 22 is connected to anelectrode terminal through a connection member 23, and the second tab222 a of the one or more electrode assemblies 22 is connected to theother electrode terminal through the other connection member 23. Forexample, the positive electrode terminal 214 a is connected to thepositive tab via a connection member 23, and the negative electrodeterminal 214 b is connected to the negative tab via the other connectionmember 23.

In the battery cell 20, according to actual usage requirements, theremay be a single or a plurality of electrode assemblies 22. As shown inFIG. 3 , there are four independent electrode assemblies 22 in thebattery cell 20.

A pressure relief mechanism 213 may also be provided on the battery cell20. The pressure relief mechanism 213 is configured to be actuated whenan internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 20 reaches athreshold, to relieve the internal pressure or temperature.

The pressure relief mechanism 213 may be in various possible pressurerelief structures, which is not limited in the embodiments of thepresent application. For example, the pressure relief mechanism 213 maybe a temperature-sensitive pressure relief mechanism, thetemperature-sensitive pressure relief mechanism is configured to becapable of being melted when the internal temperature of the batterycell 20 provided with the pressure relief mechanism 213 reaches athreshold; and/or the pressure relief mechanism 213 may be apressure-sensitive pressure relief mechanism, and the pressure-sensitivepressure relief mechanism is configured to be capable of being fracturedwhen an internal gas pressure of the battery cell 20 provided with thepressure relief mechanism 213 reaches a threshold.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of the battery 10 accordingto an embodiment of the present application.

The battery 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along afirst direction x and a thermal management component 101.

The first direction x is the arrangement direction of a column ofbattery cells 20 in the battery 10. That is, the column of battery cells20 in the battery 10 are arranged along the direction x.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded diagram of the column of battery cells 20 andthermal management components 101; FIG. 6 is a planar schematic diagramof the column of battery cells 20 and thermal management components 101;FIG. 7 is a sectional schematic view taken along A-A in FIG. 6 ; andFIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the part B in FIG. 7 .

The thermal management component 101 extends along the first direction xand is connected to a first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 among theplurality of battery cells 20, and the first wall 2111 is a wall of thebattery cell 20 that has the largest surface area.

The battery cell 20 may include a plurality of walls, and the first wall2111 that has the largest surface area of the battery cell 20 isconnected to the thermal management component 101. That is, the firstwall 2111 of the battery cell 20 faces the thermal management component101, i.e., the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 are parallel tothe first direction x.

As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 , the thermal management component 101includes a pair of heat conducting plates 1011 that are oppositelyarranged along a second direction y and a flow passage 1012 locatedbetween the pair of heat conducting plates 1011, the flow passage 1012is configured to accommodate a fluid to adjust a temperature of thebattery cell 20, and the second direction y is vertical to the firstwall 2111.

The thermal management component 101 is configured to accommodate afluid to adjust temperatures of the plurality of battery cells 20. Thefluid may be a liquid or a gas, and the temperature adjustment meansheating or cooling the plurality of battery cells 20. In a case ofcooling or lowering the temperature of the battery cells 20, the flowpassage 1012 is configured to accommodate a cooling medium to adjust thetemperatures of the plurality of battery cells 20. In this case, thethermal management component 101 may also be called a cooling componentor a cooling plate, or the like. The fluid accommodated in the flowpassage 1012 may also be referred to as a cooling medium or a coolingfluid, and more specifically, may be referred to as a cooling liquid ora cooling gas. In addition, the thermal management component 101 mayalso be used for heating, which is not limited in the embodiments of thepresent application. Optionally, the fluid may flow in a circulatingmanner to achieve a better temperature adjustment effect. Optionally,the fluid may be water, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol,refrigerant, air, or the like. Optionally, the thermal managementcomponent 101 is provided with a current collector 102 and a pipe 103 atboth ends in the first direction x, the pipe 103 is used for conveyingthe fluid, and the current collector 102 is used for collecting thefluid.

In the second direction y, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate1011 and a size H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.

In an embodiment of the present application, in the battery 10, thethermal management component 101 is provided to be connected to thefirst wall 2111 that has the largest surface area of each battery cell20 among a column of the plurality of battery cells 20 arranged alongthe first direction x. In this way, there is no need to provide beamsand other structures in the middle of the box body 11 of the battery 10,which can maximize the space utilization rate inside the battery,thereby improving the energy density of the battery 10.

Correspondingly, in order to ensure the performance of the battery 10,the thermal management component 101 needs to take into account therequirements of strength and thermal management performance.

In an embodiment of the present application, in the second direction y,when the thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 and the size H ofthe flow passage 1012 satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25, both the strength and thethermal management performance requirements can be taken into account.

Specifically, when the size H of the flow passage 1012 is large, a flowresistance of the fluid in the flow passage 1012 is low, which canimprove a heat exchange amount per unit time of the thermal managementcomponent 101; when the thickness D of the heat conduction plate 1011 isrelatively large, the thermal management component 101 has highstrength. When D/H is less than 0.01, the size H of the flow passage1012 is big enough, but takes up too much space; or under the givenspace of the thermal management component 101, the thickness D of theheat conducting plate 1011 may be too thin, resulting in insufficientstrength, for example, vibration and shock requirements of the battery10 cannot be met, and even the thermal management component 101 iscrushed when the battery is firstly assembled. When D/H≥25, thethickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 is thick enough, but underthe given space of the thermal management component 101, it may resultin that the size H of the flow passage 1012 is too small, and the flowresistance of the fluid in the flow passage 1012 increases, and a heatexchange performance is deteriorated or the flow passage 1012 is blockedduring use. Besides, since the thickness of the wall of the heatconducting plate 1011 is too large, a force generated by the expansionof the battery cell 20 cannot satisfy the crushing force on the thermalmanagement component 101 corresponding to the expansion space requiredby the battery cell 20, that is, the thermal management component 101cannot release the expansion space required by the battery cell 20 intime, which will accelerate the capacity reduction of the battery cell20. Therefore, the thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 and thesize H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25, both the strengthand the thermal management performance requirements can be taken intoaccount simultaneously to ensure the performance of the battery 10.

In an embodiment of the present application, in the battery 10, thethermal management component 101 is provided to be connected to thefirst wall 2111 that has the largest surface area of each battery cell20 among a column of the plurality of battery cells 20 arranged in thefirst direction x, where the thermal management component 101 includes apair of heat conducting plates 1011 that are oppositely arranged along asecond direction y of the first wall 2111 and a flow passage 1012between the pair of heat conducting plates 1011, and in the seconddirection y, the thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 and thesize H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25. In this way, thereis no need to provide beams and other structures in the middle of thebox body 11 of the battery 10, which can maximize the space utilizationrate inside the battery 10, thereby improving the energy density of thebattery 10; besides, the use of the above thermal management component101 can also ensure the thermal management in the battery 10. Thus,technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application couldensure the thermal management in the battery 10 while improving theenergy density of the battery 10, thereby improving the performance ofthe battery 10.

Optionally, when 0.01 the fluid may be a solid-liquid phase changematerial or a liquid working substance, an outer layer of the thermalmanagement component 101 may be made of a film-like material as a skin,and the interior can be filled with a skeleton structure forreinforcement. This solution can be used in the case where therequirement of strength is relatively low or the compressibility of thethermal management component 101 is relatively high.

Optionally, in the range of 0.1 convection heat exchange using a fluidworking substance or vapor-liquid phase change cooling scheme can beadopted inside the thermal management component 101, and the liquidworking substance is used as the heat exchange medium to ensure the heattransfer performance of the thermal management component 101.

Optionally, when 1 the thermal management component 101 may use avapor-liquid phase change cooling scheme, and the overall pressure maybe increased by adjusting an interior gap to ensure that the workingmedium exists in the form of liquid inside the thermal managementcomponent 101 so as to prevent coexistence of the two states of vaporand liquid caused by pressure loss, and provide the heat exchangeperformance Besides, the thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011is thick enough to prevent the thermal management component 101 frombreaking due to vaporization of the internal working medium and theincrease of pressure during being heated.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the thickness Dof the heat conducting plate 1011 and the size H of the flow passage1012 satisfy: 0.05 D/H≤15, and further satisfy 0.1≤D/H≤1, so as tobetter take into account space, strength and thermal management, therebyfurther improving the performance of the battery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, a size W of thethermal management component 101 in the second direction y is 0.3 to 100mm.

W is the total thickness of the thermal management component 101, thatis, W=2*D+H. If W is too large, the thermal management component 101will take up too much space, and if W is too small, it will result intoo low strength or too narrow flow passage and affect the thermalmanagement performance. Therefore, when the total thickness W of thethermal management component 101 is 0.3 to 100 mm, the thermalmanagement component 101 can take into account the space, the strengthand the thermal management to ensure the performance of the battery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the thickness dof the heat conducting plate is 0.1 to 25 mm.

If the thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 is too large, theheat conducting plate 1011 will take up too much space and the thermalmanagement component 101 will not be able to give up the expansion spacerequired by the battery cell 20, and if the D is too small, it willresult in low strength. Therefore, when the thickness D of the heatconducting plate 1011 is 0.1 to 25 mm, the thermal management component101 may take into account the space, the strength and the expansionrequirements of the battery cell 20 to ensure the performance of thebattery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the size H ofthe flow passage 1012 is 0.1 to 50 mm.

Specifically, the size H of the flow passage 1012 needs to be at leastlarger than the particle size of impurities that may appear inside, soas to prevent blockage during application, and if the size H of the flowpassage 1012 is too small, the flow resistance of the fluid in the flowpassage 1012 increases, and the heat exchange performance isdeteriorated, so the size H of the flow passage 1012 is not less than0.1 mm. If the size H of the flow passage 1012 is too large, it willtake up too much space or not have enough strength. Therefore, when thesize H of the flow passage 1012 is 0.1 to 50 mm, the space, the strengthand the thermal management performance can be taken into account toensure the performance of the battery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the size W ofthe thermal management component 101 in the second direction y and anarea A of the first wall 2111 satisfy: 0.03 mm⁻¹≤W/A*1000≤2 mm⁻¹.

If W and A satisfy the above conditions, and the heat exchangeperformance requirements and the size and space requirements of thebattery cell 20 can be met. Specifically, when the area A of the firstwall 2111 of the battery cell 20 is relatively large, the cooling areais relatively large, which can reduce the heat transfer resistance fromthe thermal management component 101 to the surface of the battery cell20; and when the total thickness of the thermal management component 101is relatively large, the strength can be increased. If W/A*1000 is lessthan 0.03 mm⁻¹, the area A of the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20is large enough, but the thermal management component 101 is too thin,resulting in insufficient strength, and the thermal management component101 may have problems, such as damage or crack during use. If W/A*1000is greater than 2, the thermal management component 101 is thick enough,but the area A of the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 is toosmall, and the cooling surface that the thermal management component 101may supply to the battery cell 20 is insufficient, having the risk thatthe cooling needs of the battery cell 20 cannot be met. Therefore, whenthe total thickness W of the thermal management component 101 and thearea A of the first wall 2111 satisfy 0.03 mm⁻¹≤W/A*1000≤2 mm⁻¹, thestrength and thermal management performance requirements can be takeninto account to ensure the performance of the battery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, as shown inFIG. 8 , the thermal management component 101 may further include a rib1013 provided between the pair of heat conducting plates 1011, and therib 1013 and the pair of heat conducting plates 1011 form the flowpassage 1012. The rib 1013 can also increase the strength of the thermalmanagement component 101. The number of the rib 1013 may be setaccording to the requirements of the flow passage 1012 and the strength.As shown in FIG. 8 , the rib 1013 may be vertical to the heat conductingplate 1011, in this case, the thermal management component 101 may beara greater pressure. Optionally, the rib 1013 can be a special shape,such as a C shape, a wave shape or a cross shape, etc., which caneffectively absorb expansion, and can also increase turbulence andenhance a heat exchange effect.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, an angle formedof the rib 1013 and the heat conducting plate 1011 may be an acuteangle. That is to say, the rib 1013 are not vertical to the heatconducting plate 1011. In this case, in the second direction y, thethermal management component 101 can have a relatively large space forcompression, thereby providing a relatively larger space for theexpansion of the battery cell 20.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, a thickness Xof the rib 1013 is not less than (−0.0005*F+0.4738)mm, where F is atensile strength of a material of the rib 1013, in MPa. That is, thethickness X of the ribs 1013 may be at least (−0.0005*F+0.4738)mm.

The thickness X of the rib 1013 is related to the tensile strength ofthe material of the rib 1013. According to the above relationalexpression, in order to meet stress requirements of the thermalmanagement component 101, materials with higher strength are selected,and the thickness X of the internal rib 1013 can be thinner, therebysaving the space and improving the energy density. Optionally, thethickness X of the rib 1013 may be 0.2 mm to 1 mm.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the batterycell 20 includes two first walls 2111 that are oppositely arranged inthe second direction y and two second walls 2112 that are oppositelyarranged in the first direction x, where in the first direction x, thesecond walls 2112 of two adjacent battery cells 20 are opposite. Thatis, for the prismatic battery cell 20, the large side thereof, i.e., thefirst wall 2111, is connected to the thermal management component 101,and the small side thereof, i.e., the second wall 2112, is connected tothe second wall 2112 of the adjacent battery cell 20, so that thebattery cells 20 are arranged in a column in the first direction x. Inthis way, a first wall 2111 with a large area is used to connect withthe thermal management component 101, which is beneficial to the heatexchange of the battery cells 20 and ensures the performance of thebattery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the battery 10includes a plurality of columns of the plurality of battery cells 20arranged in the first direction x and the plurality of thermalmanagement components 101, where the plurality of columns of batterycells 20 and the plurality of thermal management components 101 arealternately arranged in the second direction y. That is, the pluralityof columns of battery cells 20 and the plurality of thermal managementcomponents 101 may be arranged in the order of a thermal managementcomponents 101, a column of battery cells 20, a thermal managementcomponents 101 . . . , or, a column of battery cells 20, a thermalmanagement components 101, a column of battery cells 20 . . . , in thisway, the plurality columns of battery cells 20 and the plurality ofthermal management components 101 are connected to each other to form asa whole that is accommodated in the box body 11, which can not onlyperform effectively thermal management of each column of battery cells20, but ensure the overall structural strength of the battery 10,thereby improving the performance of the battery 10.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the battery 10may include a plurality of battery modules. The battery module includesat least one column of the plurality of battery cells 20 arranged alongthe first direction x and at least one thermal management component 101,and the at least one column of battery cells 20 and the at least one ofthermal management component 101 are alternately arranged in the seconddirection y. That is, for each battery module, the column of batterycells 20 and the thermal management component 101 are alternatelyarranged in the second direction y, and the plurality of battery modulesare accommodated in the box body 11 to form the battery 10. Optionally,the plurality of battery modules are arranged along the second directiony, and there is a gap between adjacent battery modules.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the thermalmanagement component 101 is bonded to the first wall 2111. That is, thethermal management component 101 and the battery cell 20 may be fixedlyconnected by bonding, such as boding by the structural glue, but this isnot limited by the embodiments of the present application.

Optionally, the battery cell 20 may be bonded and fixed to the box body11. Optionally, adjacent battery cells 20 in each column of batterycells 20 may also be bonded, for example, the second walls 2112 ofadjacent battery cells 20 are bonded by the structural glue, but this isnot limited by the embodiments of the present application. The fixingeffect of the battery cells 20 may be further enhanced by bonding andfixing adjacent battery cells 20 in each column of battery cells 20.

It should be understood that relevant parts in each embodiment of thepresent application may be referred to each other, and for the sake ofbrevity, details are not described herein again.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a powerconsumption device, which may include the battery 10 in theabove-mentioned embodiments. Optionally, the power consumption devicemay be a vehicle 1, a ship or a spacecraft, etc., but this is notlimited by the embodiments of the present application.

The battery 10 and the power consumption device of the embodiments ofthe present application are described above, and a method and device forproducing a battery of the embodiments of the present application willbe described below. For the parts that are not described in detail,reference is made to the foregoing embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic flowchart of a method 300 for producing abattery according to an embodiment of the present application. As shownin FIG. 9 , the method 300 may include:

310, providing a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a firstdirection x;

320, providing a thermal management component 101, the thermalmanagement component 101 extending along the first direction x and beingconnected to a first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 among theplurality of battery cells 20, the first wall 2111 being a wall that hasthe largest surface area of the battery cell 20, the thermal managementcomponent 101 including a pair of heat conducting plates 1011 that areoppositely arranged along a second direction y and a flow passage 1012located between the pair of heat conducting plates 1011, the flowpassage 1012 being configured to accommodate a fluid to adjusttemperatures of the battery cells 20, and the second direction y beingvertical to the first wall 2111, where in the second direction y, athickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 and a size H of the flowpassage 1012 satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a device 400 for producing abattery according to an embodiment of the present application. As shownin FIG. 10 , the device 400 for producing a battery may including:

a first provision module 410, configured to provide a plurality ofbattery cells 20 arranged along the first direction x;

a second provision module 420 configured to provide a thermal managementcomponent 101, the thermal management component 101 extending along thefirst direction x and being connected to a first wall 2111 of eachbattery cell 20 among the plurality of battery cells 20, the first wall2111 being a wall that has the largest surface area of the battery cell20, the thermal management component 101 including a pair of heatconducting plates 1011 that are oppositely arranged along a seconddirection y and a flow passage 1012 located between the pair of heatconducting plates 1011, the flow passage 1012 being configured toaccommodate a fluid to adjust temperatures of the battery cells 20, andthe second direction y being vertical to the first wall 2111, where inthe second direction y, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011and a size H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application are illustrated. Theembodiments described below are exemplary, only used to explain thepresent application, and should not be construed as a limitation to thepresent application. If no specific technique or condition is indicatedin the embodiments, the technique or condition described in theliterature in the art or the product specification is used.

Simulation tests on heating rate and deformation force of the thermalmanagement component 101 are carried out using the battery cell 20 andthe thermal management component 101 shown in the accompanying drawings,and the test results are shown in Table 1. L2 in Table 1 is the size ofthe battery cell 20 in the first direction x, L3 is the size of thebattery cell 20 in the second direction y, L1 is the size of the firstwall 2111 of the battery cell 20 in the third direction z, and the thirddirection is vertical to the first direction x and the second directiony.

TABLE 1 Heating L1 L2 L3 W D H W/A*1000 Rate Deformation mm mm mm mm mmmm D/H mm⁻¹ ° C./min Force N 71 1000 26.5 4 1.95 0.1 19.5 0.056338028<0.5 >100000 100 960 26.5 4 1.8 0.4 4.5 0.041666667 <0.5 >100000 71 12026.5 5 2.45 0.1 24.5 0.58685446 <0.5 >100000 71 120 26.5 8 3 2 1.50.938967136 <0.5 >100000 85.9 120 12.5 3 1.45 0.1 14.5 0.291036088<0.5 >100000 91 148 26.5 3 1.45 0.1 14.5 0.222750223 <0.5 >100000 112.5148 85.8 5 2.25 0.5 4.5 0.3003003 <0.5 >100000 95 148 52 5 2.25 0.5 4.50.355618777 <0.5 >100000 85 173 42 4 1.75 0.5 3.5 0.272016321 <0.5[10000, 100000] 199.7 173.6 53.5 4 1.75 0.5 3.5 0.115380444 <0.5 [10000,100000] 201.7 173.6 28.6 12 2 8 0.25 0.342709093 [0.5, [10000, 1.6]100000] 199.7 173.6 53.5 10 1.5 7 0.214285714 0.28845111 [0.5, [10000,1.6] 100000] 97.5 148 28.5 3 0.5 2 0.25 0.207900208 [0.5, [10000, 1.6]100000] 102.85 148 79 3 0.4 2.2 0.181818182 0.197085759 [0.5, [10000,1.6] 100000] 97 148 79 3 0.4 2.2 0.181818182 0.208971858 [0.5, [10000,1.6] 100000] 199.7 173.6 71.25 4 1 2 0.5 0.115380444 [0.5, [10000, 1.6]100000] 30 200 10 2 0.625 0.75 0.833333333 0.333333333 [0.5, [10000,1.6] 100000] 55 55 13.5 5 0.5 4 0.125 1.652892562 [0.5, [10000, 1.6]100000] 63.4 70 35 6 1 4 0.25 1.351960342 [0.5, [10000, 1.6] 100000]112.5 203 44 6 0.25 5.5 0.045454545 0.26272578 [0.5, <10000 1.6] 112.5203 88 6 0.25 5.5 0.045454545 0.26272578 [0.5, <10000 1.6] 91 148 26.50.3 0.1 0.1 1 0.022275022 <0.5 <10000 112.5 194 48 4 0.2 3.6 0.0555555560.18327606 <0.5 <10000 112.5 194 70.7 4 0.2 3.6 0.055555556 0.18327606<0.5 <10000 200 200 85.8 60 5 50 0.1 1.5 [0.5, >100000 1.6]

Although the present application is already described with reference tothe preferred embodiments, various improvements may be made to thepresent application and the components therein may be replaced withequivalents without departing from the scope of the present application.In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, varioustechnical features mentioned in the various embodiments may be combinedin any manner. The present application is not limited to the specificembodiments disclosed herein, and includes all technical solutionsfalling within the scope of the claims.

1. A battery, comprising: a plurality of battery cells arranged along afirst direction; and a thermal management component, extending along thefirst direction and being connected to a first wall of each battery cellamong the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall thathas the largest surface area of the battery cell, the thermal managementcomponent comprising a pair of heat conducting plates that areoppositely arranged along a second direction and a flow passage locatedbetween the pair of heat conducting plates, the flow passage beingconfigured to accommodate a fluid to adjust a temperature of the batterycell, and the second direction being vertical to the first wall, whereinin the second direction, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate anda size H of the flow passage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.
 2. The batteryaccording to claim 1, wherein the thickness D of the heat conductingplate and the size H of the flow passage satisfy: 0.05≤D/H≤15.
 3. Thebattery according to claim 1, wherein a size W of the thermal managementcomponent in the second direction is 0.3 to 100 mm.
 4. The batteryaccording to claim 1, wherein the thickness D of the heat conductingplate is 0.1 to 25 mm.
 5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein thesize H of the flow passage is 0.1 to 50 mm.
 6. The battery according toclaim 1, wherein the size W of the thermal management component in thesecond direction and an area A of the first wall (2111) satisfy: 0.03mm⁻¹≤W/A*1000≤2 mm⁻¹.
 7. The battery according to claim 1, wherein thethermal management component further comprises a rib provided betweenthe pair of heat conducting plates, and the rib and the pair of heatconducting plates form the flow passage.
 8. The battery according toclaim 7, wherein an angle formed of the rib and the heat conductingplate is an acute angle.
 9. The battery according to claim 7, wherein athickness X of the rib is not less than (−0.0005*F+0.4738)mm, wherein Fis a tensile strength of a material of the rib.
 10. The batteryaccording to claim 1, wherein the battery cell comprises two first wallsthat are oppositely arranged in the second direction and two secondwalls that are oppositely arranged in the first direction, wherein inthe first direction, the second walls of two adjacent battery cells areopposite.
 11. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the batterycomprises a plurality of columns of the plurality of battery cellsarranged in the first direction and the plurality of thermal managementcomponents, wherein the plurality of columns of battery cells and theplurality of thermal management components are alternately arranged inthe second direction.
 12. The battery according to claim 1, wherein thethermal management component is bonded to the first wall.
 13. A powerconsumption device, comprising: the battery according to claim 1, thebattery being configured to provide electric energy.
 14. A method forproducing a battery, comprising: providing a plurality of battery cellsarranged in a first direction; providing a thermal management component,the thermal management component extending along the first direction andbeing connected to a first wall of each battery cell among the pluralityof battery cells, the first wall being a wall that has the largestsurface area of the battery cell, the thermal management componentcomprising a pair of heat conducting plates that are oppositely arrangedalong a second direction and a flow passage located between the pair ofheat conducting plates, the flow passage being configured to accommodatea fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell, and the seconddirection being vertical to the first wall, wherein in the seconddirection, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate and a size H ofthe flow passage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.
 15. A device for producing abattery, comprising: a first provision module, configured to provide aplurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; a secondprovision module configured to provide a thermal management component,the thermal management component extending along the first direction andbeing connected to a first wall of each battery cell among the pluralityof battery cells, the first wall being a wall that has the largestsurface area of the battery cell, the thermal management componentcomprising a pair of heat conducting plates that are oppositely arrangedalong a second direction and a flow passage located between the pair ofheat conducting plates, the flow passage being configured to accommodatea fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell, and the seconddirection being vertical to the first wall, wherein in the seconddirection, a thickness D of the heat conducting plate and a size H ofthe flow passage satisfy: 0.01≤D/H≤25.